Virtual Bronchoscopy

Volumetric imaging of the airways along with associated quantitative assessments date back 15-18 years to the earliest days of the Mayo Dynamic Spatial Reconstructor project, recently it has become of interest to display the volumetric images with the viewer's perspective placed inside the lumen rather than displaying the airway lumen as a solid three-dimensional structure. The internal view of the airway simulates the view seen by the conventional bronchoscope and has been dubbed "Virtual Bronchoscopy." Efforts are underway to link the CT-based Virtual images with the actual bronchoscopic images during the bronchoscopic procedure to provide the experienced bronchoscopist with additional information leading to successful biopsies of suspected mediastinal tumors. The linkage between the virtual and the actual bronchoscopic image is expected to also provide the less experienced bronchoscopist with a road map of the often confusing airway tree structure.

For more information on Virtual Bronchoscopy see the following:

Automatic Image Analysis for Efficient Virtual-Bronchoscopic Assessment

Virtual Bronchoscopy for 3D Pulmonary Image Assessment: Visualization and Analysis